It's OK to Cry - Molly Potter, illustrated by Sarah Jennings

Why do boys think they need to act tough?

Many boys are told over and over again that they need to be tough. They pick this up from adverts on TV, from watching action films, from reading stories with male heroes who never cry and from some of the adults in their lives.

How many messages that encourage boys to be tough can you see in this picture?

Be brave, don't cry.

It’s good to know‌

of being tough includes Sad ly, boys are often taught that par t really unhelpful. not talk ing about their feelings. This is

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Why it’s good to talk about feelings Life is a lot easier if you can talk to other people about the things that are bothering you.

If you manage to talk about difficult feelings and what made you feel that way, you’ll start to feel better and you’ll be more likely to get the help you need.

I feel lonely at play times.

I'm really worried about getting a new teacher.

I feel scared when there's thunder and lightning.

I'm feeling sad because my grandad can't visit me now.

I'm feeling upset because my mum and dad had a big argument this morning.

The following pages give you lots of words for feelings and suggest times when you might feel that way. Thinking about these words and situations can help you get better at expressing how you feel.

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Positive feelings that can make you smile Some feelings can make you think that everything in life is great.

Here are some feelings that are just like that.

Feeling EXCITED the night before your birthday.

Feeling AMUSED when someone tells you a joke.

Knock, knock!

Feeling PROUD when you score a goal in a football match.

Feeling DELIGHTED when you open a present and realise it’s exactly what you wanted.

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